Advertisment

test table article

author-image
Billy Butcher
2 Min read
New Update
test image

Handheld emperor

Nintendo, a Japanese electronics company, started as a hanafuda cards manufacturer in 1889. In the mid-1970s, they entered the early video games market and became famous for their home video and handheld game consoles. Nintendo introduced consoles like NES, SNES, and Wii. But the most revolutionary was for sure the Game Boy.

A countdown of Nintendo handhelds

The Nintendo "flagship" - handheld Game Boy
Advertismentdesktop ap 2 1
  1. Game & Watch was Nintendo's first product offering out-of-home gaming. From 1980 to 1991, over a hundred games were released, gaining great popularity.
  2. In 1989,  the original Game Boy was released. The new amazing machine utilized a cartridge system, allowing the users to play a multitude of games of all kinds. This was a historical game-changer.  
  3. In 2004, Nintendo introduced a new console family called the Nintendo DS. It sported a dual LCD screen in a folded shell, with the lower one being a touchscreen.
  4. 2017 brought the hybrid experience for both couch-preferring gamers and handheld enthusiasts with the release of the Nintendo Switch. It offers both a TV mode with high-definition graphics and a handheld mode using the built-in 6.2” display. 

Handheld consoles' popularity

While the most recent Switch is a prevalent choice nowadays, the 2DS and 3DS consoles are still popular. The king, however, is none other than the original wonder — the Game Boy.

Advertismenthello this i a text
ConsoleProduction datesPieces sold (2021)
Game & Watch1980-1991, 2020-202144 million
Game Boy1989-2010201 million 1
Nintendo DS2011-202076 million 2
Switchsince 201793 million

1 119 million Game Boy and Game Boy Color variants, 82 million Game Boy Advance variants.

2 Including all versions: DS, DSi, 2DS, 3DS, and New 2DS/3DS variants.

Handheld gaming experience

It's dangerous to go alone! Take this. 
“Legend of Zelda”, 1986

Advertisment

Games that can be played on the handheld family include (examples of games listed):

  • Action & adventure games
    • The Legend of Zelda series
    • Chrono Trigger
  • First-person action games
    • Splatoon
  • Role-playing games (RPG)
    • The Pokemon series
    • The Final Fantasy series
wellness
Advertisment
Advertisment